A 79-year-old Los Angeles business owner has filed a $50 million federal administrative claim accusing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents of assault, excessive force, and civil rights violations during a raid at his Van Nuys car wash earlier this month.
According to the federal tort claim, Rafie Ollah Shouhed, a U.S. citizen, sustained multiple broken ribs, elbow injuries, and a traumatic brain injury after being body-slammed onto the pavement by ICE agents on September 9. Attorneys say surveillance footage supports his account, showing agents detaining another man before turning their attention to Shouhed as he attempted to provide documentation for his employees.
The filing alleges that agents cursed at Shouhed, violently slammed him to the ground, and pinned him with a knee on his neck, despite his pleas and disclosure of a heart condition. Shouhed was reportedly held for nearly 12 hours at the Metropolitan Detention Center before being released—long after authorities had confirmed his citizenship status.
“This was an outrageous and unlawful assault on a 79-year-old American citizen in his own place of business,” attorney V. James DeSimone, Esq., said in a press release. “If this can happen in broad daylight to an American senior citizen who committed no crime, it can happen to anyone.”
The claim, filed against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its sub-agencies, asserts causes of action for assault, battery, violations of civil rights, and deliberate indifference to serious medical conditions. It also accuses DHS of maintaining policies that tolerate and condone excessive force.
The aftermath of the raid has extended beyond Shouhed’s injuries. His car wash has temporarily closed after employees, including U.S. citizens, expressed fear of returning to work. Federal officials have not yet responded to the claim, and DHS has not issued a statement.
This case underscores ongoing legal debates about accountability in federal law enforcement, particularly concerning ICE and Border Patrol operations. If unresolved administratively, the claim could advance to federal court as a civil rights lawsuit.
